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Security workers at O'Hare International Airport went on strike Thursday, alleging unfair labor practices by their employer Universal Security.

Fourteen out of 160 O'Hare security officers employed by Universal Security staged the one-day "unfair labor practice" strike to protest against alleged retaliation by their employer for speaking out about work conditions and organizing.

"These workers are the people who work hard to keep our passengers safe, but they work in a hostile environment each and every day and are constantly under the threat of losing their jobs," said Genie Kastrup, vice president and chief of staff with SEIU* Local 1.

Sources

Although gun-control legislation has stalled in Congress, "common-sense gun reform" remains one of U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly's top priorities, the Democratic congresswoman said at a Monday night event in East Hazel Crest to review her first year in the House.

While in Congress, Kelly introduced gun-control legislation meant to place stricter safety standards on guns and keep "violent, dangerous people" from being able to purchase firearms. But supporters of gun curbs simply cannot get gun-control legislation to the House floor for a vote, Kelly said.

"There is gun legislation dealing with background checks, and there is about 180 to 190 bipartisan signatures, Democrats and Republicans," the congresswoman said. "But we cannot get it called to the floor, so what I tell people when people come and see me about the gun issue [is], 'I'm your choir.' So we need to call other people across the United States and call Speaker [John] Boehner [to] at least [bring] the bill to committee and to the floor and let it be voted up or down."

New data from the Chicago Department of Aviation shows that there were 6,321 O'Hare noise complaints mady by city and suburban residents in January, the most that have ever been recorded in a given month.

Sources

Workers at the Hudson News bookstore at both Midway and O'Hare
International airports say the company is not treating its North and
South Side employees equally, and they want the Chicago City Council to
investigate the issue.

Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), one of the
airport workers' advocates, introduced a non-binding resolution at
Wednesday's city council meeting that calls on the Aviation Committee to
hold a hearing about the compensation system and personnel practices
the company uses at both locations.

Hudson Midway workers receive
an average hourly wage of $8.92, while Hudson O'Hare employees are paid
an average of $10.05 per hour, Brookins' resolution reads. Hudson News
workers at O'Hare earn an average of $1.13 more an hour than their
counterparts at Midway, according to the hospitality union Unite Here
Local 1, which represents the Hudson News workers at O’Hare and Midway.

"Why,
if you do the same work at the same company in the same city, do you
get paid less money?" Brookins said at a Wednesday morning news
conference.